Customer Reviews

The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation

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3 star:		(1)
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Every American should read this book! It really does an amazing job of presenting every element of the Constitution - from the history of the Revolution to the debates over the various articles and amendments - with clarity while never seeming to talk down to its audience. Hennessey and McConnell do a terrific job of explaining some of the Constitution's more complicated concepts (Electoral College, anyone?) while even managing to make it fun. I would recommend this for anyone from high school age up, but I would highly recommend it to anyone who craves a better understanding of why our government structures sometimes seem so wacky.

So many people nowadays talk about the Constitution, its provisions and its history. I wonder how many of them actually read it, and even more so, understand it. Bringing the Constitution to the American Masses, Jonathan Hennessey and Aaron McConnell have done so in a fairly unique and inspiring way: threw the form of a graphic novel.

Part Constitutional primer and part history, The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation is a pleasant meandering through the visionary paper that founded our government. Hennessey and McConnell's job is not easy; taking this document and making it accurate, relevant, and real to today's audiences, with a sense of whimsy that graphic novel allows, is quite the balancing act. They accomplish this with a smart blend of historical information, interpretation, and graphics that illustrate, sometimes fantastically, the concepts they discuss. For example, in discussing the role of the judiciary, the character walks around with a Supreme Court building head. Odd, but appropriate.

They managed to squeeze in most major cases that the Supreme Court has ruled on in its years of existance; from Marbury to Roe V. Wade, especially as they amplify parts of the Constitution (whether you agree with that amplification or not). Placement is accurate, and iluminates their points well. (One would think that someone could pass this book on to a certain VP nominee, and get her up-to-date on some of the most major cases!).

One drawback to the book I found is the general failure to list the actual parts of the Constitution it was discussing, especially in the realm of the amendments. I often was sent scurrying to my iPhone (to which I've downloaded a free Constitutional app!) to read the actual language of the provision, article or amendment. The lack of the words baffles me. Would it have been that difficult to insert them?

Still, I loved this book. It's a quick read, enjoyable, and catches you quickly up on the document that everyone claims to know, but few do. I highly recommend this book for your own reading pleasure. It's unique, accessible, and very, very informative!

A well researched book about the United States Constitution. In today's world with so many questions regarding rights of citizens and branches of our government, this is very helpful in better understanding the basis of our Constitution and the reasoning behind its writing. This would be an excellent textbook for high schools to encourage students to develop a sincere interest in our government and how it works. I stongly recommend this book to those who wish to broaden their knowledge of the United States Constitution.

The authors and artists involved with creating "The United States Constitution : a graphic adaptation" have done a masterful job of conveying the complexities, history and controversies associated with the US Constitution into a graphic format. The 3/5 Compromise, in which African American slaves were counted as 3/5 of a person or the purpose of allocating seats in the House of Representatives is conveyed by showing human beings with slightly more than half of their bodies showing. The conflict between states and the federal government is shown by the various state birds in conflict with a bald eagle. The various factions and interests (large states, small states, etc.) battling for control over government are shown as various individuals pulling wires to hold up an ungainly, smoke-belching machine, piloted by the Founding Fathers, as it maneuvers on a high wire. Creative, apt images are used to indelibly portray lofty and seemingly abstract principles.

Controversies are put in historical context. The current battle over the Second Amendment -- giving citizens the right to bear arms -- is put in context of the world of the late 18th century in which the amendment was written. "Persons" (inhabitants of the country) are contrasted with "the People" (those with legal rights). Whatever your position on the 2nd Amendment, this distinction is instructive. The book also provides some insights into the Constitution's development and interpretations over time. The language of incorporation, born with the 14th Amendment ending slavery -- shows how limitations on the Federal government -- such as the inability to establish religion -- were placed on the states as well. Cases where the Supreme Court has reversed itself are noted, notably Plessey v Ferguson and Brown v Board of Education. Only in one case (the discussion of the Marbury v Madison, which established judicial review by he Supreme Court) did the book fail in its efforts. Evidently, that case is way too convoluted to convey with anything but words and ideas.

If "The United States Constitution : a graphic adaptation" had a political agenda, I wasn't aware of it. Instead, it impressed me by including the wide panoply of persons touched by the document -- first whites, blacks and Native Americans, and eventually women, Asians, Hispanics and others. The book is eye-opening and informative -- all but the most committed legal buffs are sure to learn something.

Hennessey and McConnell mix it up quite a bit to present the US Constitution - not only a summary of each article and ammendment, but the ideas behind them and often the historical settings in which they were formed. Often a brief history lesson is used to show what the particular concept was meant to address; other times, hypothetical examples are used. The graphics vary much the same way - sometimes a simple story is being told; other times, an abstract concept is presented in totally original symbols and sci-fi like images.

This is a very accessible approach to what would otherwise be a dry read. Though the text of the constitution itself is only partly quoted, the substance and explanations come across in a well balanced fashion. And, often, the changing interpretations over our history are presented as well, offering a vision of a Constitution that will continue to be re-interepreted and evolve.

A great way to get the meat of this critical document in world history into the mind of a middle- or high-school student.

This brilliant graphic novel tells the unvarnished story of the development and amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The book is no hagiography of the document or its authors. Hennessey and McConnell point out the flaws in the Constitution and its unfortunate application to restrict the rights of many Americans.

In total, though, this book, like the best history books, inspires both an appreciation for past events and a desire to improve conditions going forward. Hennessy and McConnell are to be commended for furthering the cause of Constitutional literacy. Get this for every middle- and high-school student you know, and get a copy for yourself, too.

Highly recommended.

This "quick read" reminded me of many things I had forgotten and taught me a number of things I don't remember ever knowing. It will make a great gift for ages 12+ because people can learn and retain information about the Constitution not only by reading the text but also from the pictures. Many readers will want to delve further into issues raised in the book, either pursuing the author's recommended reading or searching the internet. I particularly liked some of the analogies which explained Constitutional issues by comparing them to everyday experiences. --- Claude, age 60

In our modern punditocracy, fewer and fewer Americans understand how the Constitution truly works, especially those who hype it the loudest. While alternative education methods like graphic depictions still face criticism from skeptics, this book might just be what the doctor ordered for high school or college students whose civic knowledge has been polluted by a lifetime of uninformed political propaganda. Writer Jonathan Hennessy does a fine job explaining many of the Constitution's intricacies while busting a lot of myths, and manages to stay politically realistic while pointing out the American inequality that the Constitution has not always been able to conquer. Artist Aaron McConnell contributes fairly dramatic artwork that is clearly influenced by hard-hitting golden age pulp comics, and he uses a few very poignant tricks to point out America's not-so-noble past, such as drawing slaves as having three-fifths of full bodies.

The constitutional information imparted herein is robust and effective, but note that a largely procedural document like the Constitution does not always lead to smooth storytelling, so this book's narrative is a bit awkward and disconnected in places. But Hennessy and McConnell really make the Constitution come alive in ways that all readers can understand, and there will be some surprises in store for those who think they know what the great document is all about. That's already a better civics education than most Americans are getting these days. [~doomsdayer520~]

I'd purchased the graphic novel for the Sept. 11 Commission Report published by the same company and they did a great job of taking tough concepts and making them accessible through images more than words. When I saw they released a graphic novel about the Constitution, I figured it would be in the same vein...it was. The author succeeds in wedding the history of the Constitution to the story of its evolution. It's a great review (and celebration) of our nation's key text presented in compelling, easy to read form. This book should really be in classrooms across the nation because of its easy access to a rich Constitution education. Don't think because it's a graphic novel that the subject matter is presented in anything but an honest review of the underpinnings of the U.S.

Jonathan Hennessey's graphic novel, "The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation" not only succinctly covers the key elements of the U.S. Constitution's text; it also provides historical examples of the implications arising out of that text. Also, it provides the historical context for why the Constitution's drafters included those provisions and excluded others. This text should be used in high school classes as an introduction not only the constitution but also constitutional history and law and society. It will inspire some and remind others about the importance of learning from U.S. history and framing the constitutional discussions of today and tomorrow.